To Save Halt
by oakleaf
Summary: Will risks his life to save Halt from a group of Temujai. What will happen when Will is injured instead? Rated T for safety. -Old and badly written, read at own risk-
1. The Temujai

**A short chapter to open my story. My first fanfic! Hope you like it. Please read and review. It's set some time after the end of book four.**

**Disclaimer. All characters and settings are property of John Flanagan. I do not claim any of them.**

**If you're wondering, The first time I uploaded, I had some technical difficulties. **

--Chapter One--

"There are new rumours that the Temujai are back," Halt said as he entered his small cabin by the trees. "They seem just to be a small group that has broken off the larger one."

"What are we going to do?" Will asked hurriedly. He remembered their Battle for Skandia and the Temujai sharpshooters.

"We're going after them. Pack some clothes. We're leaving tomorrow."

~*~

Will and Halt had finally found the Temujai in Teutland. It seemed there were only 20 of them, an easy number to engage in a skirmish, as long as they stayed hidden.

The two Rangers started to shoot at the Temujai soldiers.

After about five rounds, Will saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. It was only a flicker, and it was moving fast – towards Halt's chest. Instinctively, Will, still holding his bow, gathered his weight and threw himself at Halt. Halt was about to ask Will what happened, when he saw the arrow in Will's left shoulder.

"Oh… my… God…" Halt whispered.

"Can't let you die Halt. You're Halt," Will croaked as he drifted out of consciousness.


	2. Getting back to Redmont

**Thanks for all the reviews! I like the criticism; I've already started working on that. Being a girl, I'm more touchy feely than the visuals. I'll redo the first chapter when I have a bit of spare time. Please keep reviewing… anything that can improve my writing must be good!**

**Getting my first reviews felt awesome! I was running around the house screaming and fangirling. :)**

**Also the spoilers (being a newbie) won't appear until late in the story, maybe the last chapter or so (I know how this will end). Sorry if I caused angst to the people who haven't read the 7****th**** book. **

**Finally, I know it wasn't long since the last update, but I've got more of the story so I thought I might as well post it. Anyway, hope that wasn't too boring. Onto the story!**

--Chapter Two--

When Will awoke, he was aware of a huge pain in his shoulder that seemed to penetrate his entire body. He was lying barely 500 meters away from the spot where he had pushed Halt over.

"Thank God you're awake. I've been worried about you! What happened? What do you remember?" asked Halt. Will had never seen him so worried.

"I remember that there was an arrow that was heading towards your chest and it looked like a killing shot. So I decided to take a hand… and I knocked you out of the way. I actually hoped to clear the arrow too."

"Well," said Halt briskly, "we need to get you back to Araluen as soon as possible."

"What about the Temujai?"

"You're in no shape to go after them now. Don't worry, there's only one of them left," Halt added, seeing the question in his apprentice's eyes.

~*~

Over the next few days, Will passed in and out of consciousness as they trekked through the mountains towards the Skandian capital, Hallasholm, to ask the Oberjarl Erak Starfollower a favour. Their road was quite steep at times, and there were many trees and low bushes. There was a lot of covering and the green forest suited the two Rangers. Will spent most of the journey leaning onto Tug's shaggy neck.

Halt hoped that their Skandian friend would be able to transport them back to Redmont where Will could receive the proper treatment for his injury. In all his years of using the bow, Halt had never seen an injury like Will's. It was ironic, Halt reflected, that his apprentice would be the one to suffer an arrow wound before he did.

As they rode, Halt felt the silence between them keenly. In the times that Will was conscious Halt maintained an outwardly happy demeanour, but when Will fell unconscious Halt felt the quiet press on him more heavily than before. It was just as he'd gotten used to having Will by his side and that this time Halt might lose Will again. But this time it might just be forever.

~*~

As the two riders arrived in Hallasholm after their journey, Halt was bone-tired, but wanted to get back to Araluen as quickly as he could.

"And what brings you here? Where's Will?" Erak asked as soon as he saw Halt. Halt's face fell and Erak saw that all was not well. Without a word, Halt led Erak over to the semi-conscious body of his young friend.

"I was wondering if anyone would be able to get us back to Redmont. I want to get him home," Halt whispered, eyes on Will.

"Rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning I will have a ship ready for you."

~*~

The ship crossed the water slowly. The Skandians knew that this must be an important patient, as the Oberjarl himself had asked them to transport the two Araluens home. The seas were merciful and there weren't too many jolts and bumps. Halt hadn't even suffered his usual seasickness because of worry for his apprentice.

At the small village of Sesley, close to the extreme western border, the ship landed. Halt hurriedly got off the ship and after a hasty goodbye to the good-humoured crew set off to Redmont.

The road was beautiful and serene. There was much animal activity, lots of shrubbery, and heaps of trees dotting the landscape. But Halt saw none of it. He was too troubled by Will's condition.

As Halt approached the fief, he felt relief flooding through his body. At least now Will was home.

"We'll get you up again in no time. I promise," Halt whispered.


	3. Healing

**Well, sorry about the REALLY long wait. I have a life, like everyone else. Also I discovered Fullmetal Alchemist, which I think is fairly awesome. I've been roped into the anime/manga sesnsation. I'm finally on holidays (yay!) so I'll have more time to write. I've noticed my chapters are really, really short and I hope no-one minds, but I really can't think of anything else to write, and this seemed like an appropriate place to end the chapter.**

**Let's get on with it, shall we?**

--Chapter Three--

~Halt's POV~

After leaving an unconscious Will at the healers, I went to his cabin to get a little bit of rest back in my cabin. I didn't want to leave the room, even though it smelt like herbs and potions. I wanted to be with Will, but the healer told me to go get some rest, lest I collapse when he awakens.

It had only been about three weeks since I left it, but it seems like a past life. When I felt his body slam into mine, I knew something was terribly wrong. And then I saw the arrow and I went through a moment of extreme guilt in failing him. And then when he told me he had tried to save him, my mind flashed to his father. Never have I owed a family so much.

Will has definitely inherited some of his father's incredible courage. Maybe that's why he was called Will: he has amazing strength of will. I couldn't stand it if I let him now. I feel he's become the son I never had.

I'd better rest and get back to the infirmary before Will wakes up.

~Normal POV~

As Will drifted back into consciousness, he noticed he was lying down on a bed in considerably more comfort then he had been since he received his injury. The room he was in looked white and too clean. There seemed to be a lot of movement around the area.

"Halt?" he croaked, hoping he sounded better than he felt.

Halt, who had been lost in thought, immediately replied, "You're at a healer's at Redmont. Everything's ok, just rest and you'll be fine."

"So," Will started in a joking tone, "what's the diagnosis, Dr Halt?"

Halt hesitated, unsure how to deliver the news. So he just said it straight out.

"Your upper arm has been broken by the arrow. It pierced the upper humerus, and broke the bone into two. You're luck you don't have to lose your arm. You're staying here until the end of the week, and then the healer are going to assess how you're going. Even then, you'll have to wait about three months for it to heal, although I daresay that you'll be able to start firing your bow in about two months."

"Oh." Will was surprised at Halt's verbal divulge. He wasn't known for them.

"Rest now. Get your strength back and we'll get you back to your training in no time"

Halt left one thought unspoken. What would happen if Will didn't heal as expected? Would he ever end up as a fully fledged Ranger? Halt pushed the doubts aside. Will would heal. He knew his apprentice would. Will hadn't let him down yet.

~*~

Will had finally been released from the infirmary. He was healing faster than the healers thought he would, but they didn't tell him. There was always the patient that overexerted themselves before they were ready to. For the last few days, Will had been going stir-crazy because of his inactivity. He wasn't used to not training, not moving or generally not doing anything.

As soon as Will reached the cabin, he wanted to start training.

"I want to start practising my archery now. I don't want to lose my skill completely."

"No," Halt replied, "you aren't allowed to. It's not that I don't like your eagerness to practise, it's just that, in case you haven't noticed, your arm is in a sling, and I don't want you overexerting it."

"But…"

"No buts. I have something else to teach you, which may come in handy. Ranger's First Aid 101."


	4. An End

**I was really, really uninspired. I'm going to type up the rest of the story as I wrote it, so if there are a few inconsistencies in the story, please tell me. I think I changed a few details when I typed it, but I'm not sure what.**

**This is the last chapter, so enjoy. Spoiler warning for the last paragraph.**

**Disclaimer: I finally found out the use of these. I don't own Ranger's Apprentice.**

-Chapter Four-

Will was still feeling irritated by the complete lack of movement. He longed to get into an outdoor exercise with Halt, perhaps one of those that involved going into the lush, green woods by the cabin. Will knew that he should learn things like this and that he would have to learn it anyway. But he still hated being cooped up learning theory.

Almost a month and half later, it was time for the Gathering again. Will loved how the Rangers were such a tight-knit group, and the Gathering was a perfect time to get together and discuss various matters. After getting ready, Will and Halt rode off for the Gathering Ground to meet their fellow Rangers.

Halt, Will and Gilan (who had met up with them at a crossroads) arrived at the Gathering Ground and crested the slight hill to enter the area. Will was happy to be back. The next morning he was to be tested on theory and a tactical exercise. Will was still upset that he couldn't do the practical work: he hated the fact that he would be missing out on some helpful tips to improve his archery and knife throwing skills.

The next morning, Halt watched as Will made his way over to the archery range to begin his assessment. He seems different, Halt thought. He used to be so eager to learn. It's as though his mind has been affected. I hope he returns to his old self again. I want to help, but he needs to open up.

Two months after the injury, Will's first test came. Would he still be up to the physical challenge? Some of the healers thought that he might have flashbacks, but no-one could be certain. The Ranger and his apprentice made their way over to the archery range near the back of Halt's hut.

"Ready?" asked Halt. Will didn't answer, just nocked an arrow, drew and released. Even after so long out of practise, it was still a fairly good shot. By an ordinary archer's standard. For a Ranger, or even an apprentice, it would need…

"Practise. That's all you need. Though go easy. As soon as it hurts, come back in. You might need the practise, but it's not worth hurting yourself over. Come back in about ten minutes."

Will knew that Halt meant well, but he still longed to just practise until he was perfect.

A few practises later, Will decided that he could push the boundaries a little. After one too many shots though, he dropped the bow and let out a small squeal of alarm.

Halt heard the small cry of alarm faintly, and went out to see that his apprentice was looking at his bow on the ground, an expression of guilt on his face.

"What have you done?" Halt admonished, looking hard at the younger Ranger.

"I – I just wanted to keep going…" He trailed off, still not meeting his mentor's gaze.

Gentler, Halt said, "If you keep pushing yourself like this, you will find that one day you will learn the hard way that you can't work yourself too hard."

At this, Will looked up. "Sorry Halt."

**(A/N: And now to tie the story back into cannon. Spoilers ahead.)**

Six months after their adventure, Halt had finally proposed to Lady Pauline. It was Will getting injured that had prompted him to think about what would happen to him. He had to face it: he wasn't as young as he used to be. Al least, he thought, with Will's young blood, he had recover fully and almost without incident. The wedding would take place in just a few weeks time.

END

**The ending is pathetic and I know it. I'm just happy that I've finished this. I've learnt so much about fanfiction through it and am now looking forward to finishing some more ideas I have for the Fullmetal Alchemist universe.**

**Thankyou so much for reading, and thanks to all who have, and will, review.**

**Oh, and as always, please review. It makes me very happy.**


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